Great Spirit Buffalo II - Oklahoma History Center - Oklahoma City, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 29.617 W 097° 29.965
14S E 636108 N 3928820
This buffalo sculpture is especially appreciated after reading the insight shown on the accompanying marker.
Waymark Code: WMM32N
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/12/2014
Views: 5
Located at the far west end of the Red River Journey historical walk, this is a life-sized bronze buffalo which is mounted on a two foot high metal cube. The sculpture was created by Phillip M. Haozous, a Chiricahua Apache, and placed in 2006.
The buffalo's left side is realistic, showing his face and a simulation of the heavy mane. His right side is a series of planes - an abstract rendition of the animal. This would seem strange until you read the story behind the sculpture:
Great Spirit
Buffalo II
Phillip M. Haozous
Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache
Bronze, 2006According to the artist, Phillip Haozous,
this bronze piece fuses two viewpoints,
abstract and realism. Based on an earlier
stone carving, the artist learned that stone
sometimes has a mind of its own and when
it broke in half, rather than bemoan the loss,
he was astounded by the great beauty that the
stone held inside. Once the stone split apart
with one side realism and the other a stylized,
abstract form, an idea took root.
Phillip created his interpretation of
a buffalo; not an exact replica, rather
what he saw through his eyes.
As Phillip stated, "it shows the
power of the buffalo
in an unreal look."